


I said I love you

by flickerbyniall



Series: Prompts [16]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, a bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-12
Updated: 2018-10-12
Packaged: 2019-07-29 23:34:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16274660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flickerbyniall/pseuds/flickerbyniall
Summary: When Niall finally figures it out, it may be too late.





	I said I love you

When Niall tries to open the door, his hands are so shaky he keeps missing the door lock, but it doesn’t really matter. His whole body is vibrating and the smile on his face is almost hurting his cheeks. Eventually, the door opens and he steps in, with Harry’s name on his lips ready to shout because he has a million thoughts in his head and everything is happening so fast he can barely catch up, but it doesn’t matter. They have time.

What he doesn’t expect is finding Harry in the living room packing up a couple of his things and two bags on the couch. He closes the door hard enough to make Harry look in his direction, And he freezes for a second before he continues putting stuff in his bag again.

“You’re home earlier,” Harry whispers more to himself than to Niall, “I thought today was date night,” He says like he’s in a hurry but his voice is trembling and something doesn’t feel right.

“What are you doing?” Niall asks, leaving the keys over the tea table in the middle of the room, walking to Harry’s bags and opening one. It’s filled with his clothing, his passport and his camera stuff. “What’s this?”

“Tonight was the big question.” Harry turns to him just for a second, and smiles before disappearing in the bathroom again. “How did it go?”

Niall is starting to feel dizzy and Harry running around the house is not helping. His chest feels suppressed and his voice cracks when he opens his mouth to ask   _What is going on?,_ but not a sound comes out. One second he was getting ready to take his girlfriend to a nice restaurant and give her a key of their apartment and ask her to move in with him, he left Harry watching tv with a white t-shirt on and a basketball short, eating Chinese and when he returns everything seems to be upside down. The house is unusually clean and Harry’s wearing jeans a boots.

“She thought I was proposing,” Niall answers, looking at Harry putting some boxers in his bag but then he stops, takes a deep breath and finally puts a big smile on his face. If Niall didn’t know him for as long as he does, he would’ve bought it but Harry’s shoulders are tense, just as the rigid smile and the dead eyes.

“Should I be congratulating you for something?” He stands in front of him and he looks at anything but Niall. His hair is a mess and his shirt is too wrinkled for Harry’s own taste. _Something is really wrong_.

“I told her I wanted her to move in here.” Niall answers, lowing his voice, trying to make eye contact, but it’s not working, Harry is standing only a few steps apart for him, but he never felt so far away.

Harry nods, zipping up his bag and putting it on his shoulders, he reaches for the other bag but Niall takes it with him, hiding it behind his back. Harry frowns and looks at him for what seems to be the first time since he came back.

“What’s all this, Harry?” Niall asks stepping back until his back hits the wall, even if Harry is not following him, he just stands there looking at him, maybe trying to figure it out what to do.

“Nick and his friends are going backpacking to some countries in Europe.” He finally explains, trying to rest importance at what he just said, moving his hands around his hips, touching his lips as he looks at his door’s room, maybe trying to remember to pack everything he needs. “I’m joining them.”

Niall stops. His grab on the bag loosens a little but not for long when he tights up again the moment he sees Harry approaching him. He doesn’t understand what’s happening, he just knows he can’t let Harry go through that door.

“Since when?!” He didn’t mean to shout but he’s getting frustrated because Harry is not giving him answers.

When they decided to move together three years ago after finish college, Niall knew it was a bad idea. He had pretty much been in love with him since the first day they met in Economy Class but Harry never seems to be into him or anyone for the matter. He would have casual dates or casuals one-night stand and that was fine. Not too much for his roommate Liam, he used to tell him about the people Harry would bring to the room without warning so Liam would have to spend the night in Louis and Niall’s room.

It hurt, but Niall guesses it’d have been worse if he was living with him, so that was the main reason why he turned down Harry when he told him about the move in a very nice apartment near to both of their jobs that his sister just found for him but it was past his budget. But after he insisted for longer than an hour, he accepted under some conditions. No bringing someone without previous notice, no lies, not buying food just for one and not making big decisions without talking it first.

And it was good. Niall was still in love with Harry but that was okay. He wasn’t going anywhere, he was going to be in his life no matter what. Until Niall got serious with one of his co-workers. Harry was barely home, the calls turn into texts when he wanted to ask Niall something, he started eating outside a lot, he wouldn’t cuddle in as much as they use to and he would stop laughing or stop talking in the middle of the conversation for apparently no reason and Niall decided to ignore it, he wanted to do it so he wouldn’t have to think about it. He should’ve noticed before. It was right in from of him but his own heartache wouldn’t let him see that maybe, just maybe, Harry was in love with him too.

“Since an hour ago, when I decided.” The crack in Harry’s voice is what gives him away.

It’s the same crack and the look at the floor that Niall recognizes in himself every time Harry would go out on a date or when he would tell him he was bringing someone over. And maybe he should be happy, but right now, he’s furious.

“And you were gonna leave without telling me?” Niall frowns, looking at Harry like he just insulted his entire family. He sighs and gets closer, trying to get his bag from Niall’s hands but he pushes him away.

Harry laughs, and it’s raw and angry and that makes Niall uncomfortable. “Well Niall, I’m sorry! I thought it wouldn’t matter when you came back here with her!”

Niall shakes his head. _He couldn’t be more wrong._ Harry is closer now, trying to take his bag and his arms are almost around him but he’s avoiding to touch him and Niall wants to laugh, thinking that it’s almost like they’re dancing if they wouldn’t be breaking each other’s hearts right now.

“She didn’t want to come back here, she wanted me to move to her place.” He whispers, right over his lips and he stares at them because kissing Harry was the only thing in his mind when he left that restaurant.

“In that case, give me my bag so you can start packing your own.” Harry is whispering too, but he’s looking at his eyes, Niall notices when he looks up. They’re so close and Niall would be smiling if everything wouldn’t be a two second apart from falling down.

Harry stops moving like he gave up just a little but he doesn’t step back so Niall leans on the wall, leading his head to the side, giving a Harry a better look.

“Don’t you understand, Harry? I’m not moving out. We broke up.” He says, with a little smile on his face as he drops the bag at his feet. Harry doesn’t move to get it and that gives Niall a little hope.

“What?” He whispers, coming even closer when Niall didn’t know it was possible, but he has learned to not be surprised by Harry, he seems to accomplish the impossible every day. “Why?” He asks again, only this time he’s the one looking at his lips and Niall is the one looking at his eyes.

For some reason, he feels like he can finally breathe now.

“Because I love you,” Niall answers, with a big smile on his face before biting his lips which makes Harry release the bottom lip with his thumb, leaving it there for a moment. “Somehow, she knew that and she made me choose.”

“Who did you choose?” Harry smiles and Niall can see the light in his eyes again, feel his hand on his cheeks and his leg between his.

“I said I love you,” Niall whispers a second before their lips collide.

The bags are left forgotten on the floor the moment Harry takes Niall in his arms and carries him to his room.

 


End file.
